Crossing Borders
Featured speaker Cynthia Leitich Smith, a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, will discuss how she's handled diversity themes in both her realistic and fantasy fiction.
Examples include the interracial cast in Jingle Dancer, the urban/tribal town experiences of Ray and Grampa Halfmoon in Indian Shoes, and the intertribal and biracial emphasis in Rain Is Not My Indian Name.
In her young adult Gothic fantasies, Eternal and Tantalize, the alienation of shapeshifters and demonization of vampires parallels the experience of real-life racial/ethnic minority groups.
Gillian Engberg
Booklist’s Gillian Engberg will talk about crossing such borders as immigration, same-sex parents, and multi-racial families in recent kids’ books from the perspective of an editor.
Maria Perez-Stable and Beth Amidon
Western Michigan University faculty Maria Perez-Stable and Elizabeth Amidon will explore and review a wide variety of books for youth on diversity and differences.